Vanishing Memories
by Danise Nowak
Summary: He was going to save Alfred from himself. He was going to do everything to accomplish it. Even if Alfred had to forget him, even if all their memories had to disappear. Arthur was prepared to lose the love of his life in order to save him.
1. Prologue When Everything Disappeared

**Hello there! It is the first time I write something with this pair so please bear with me. I was inspired by a doujinshi I read and made me cry like a little baby. As I said I was inspired so what I write may resemble it a little, but the main plot and almost everything I'll write is different (In case you have read the same doujinshi). **

**English is not my mother tongue so if you find some mistake please tell me to correct it. **

**I hope you enjoy! **

_**Danise Nowak**_

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_**Prologue: When everything disappeared.**_

"No, please no"

The soft sobs could be heard all around the small room breaking the absolute silence that had filled it not long before.

"I told you, I told you" The boy kept repeating like a prayer as if those words could somehow fix everything. He was pulling closer the almost motionless body he was were falling from his swollen eyes like rain. The small drops of salty water kept falling and the tremble of his body only increased.

"Oh God, why? Why you?"

The boy kept repeating with whispers his pain to the still and almost death body. His hands were grabbing with desperation the bloodied clothes of the one he was hugging in a desperate attempt to stop the blood that long ago had escaped its body. There was a puddle of the red liquid under both of them, staining their clothes and providing a clear image of the imminent death. The feeling of the muscular body against his flesh could only remind him of the tragedy and his uselessness.

"It's my fault. I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn't..." The words failed to go out as a sob formed inside of his throat and made him choke. He was trying to understand why it had happened. Why, after all his cautions, everything had happened as it had been written. "Why?" He choked out burying his head in the softness of the golden hair he loved so much.

"It…wasn't….your….fault."

The soft whisper made the boy pull away from the body to look at the pale face of his dying partner. Those deep blue eyes that had always been smiling now looked at him with the pain shinning clearly in them, but also full of kindness and not a single drop of anger. Even when he knew he was dying, he was pulling his lips up to try to form a weak smile. The boy couldn't stop a little laugh from escaping from his mouth at the irony of the situation. The world was losing such a pure and precious soul and his, a black, stained and far beyond salvation one, had to remain on Earth.

"It was…my….decision….Arthur."

A new river of tears fell from Arthur's green eyes. No, it hadn't been Alfred's decision. He was the one who had allowed this relationship to continue even when he knew the danger of pursuing something so selfish. He was the one at fault. Not Alfred. Not anyone else. Just him, Arthur Kirkland.

The green eyed boy shook his head, tears falling on Alfred's face, then, slowly and really careful not to cause any more pain to the already wounded figure he had between his arms, he left Alfred's body on the floor. Blue eyes watched with confusion, and a bit of fear, as Arthur took Alfred's pale face between his trembling hands caressing his cheeks with gentle fingers exploring the already memorized lines that formed it while his tears continued falling onto the cheeks of the dying boy.

Oh! How he adored that face and those blue eyes, but even more the person to whom they belonged. Alfred was the one who lighted his way when he was surrounded by darkness and here he was, dying because of him. The strong boy who had a bright future, a secure path in life, a chance to be happy and safe. He had shattered all that with his selfishness.

And Arthur remembered. The time when he had helped Alfred with that stupid fight. How they had become friends since that day. The irritation he felt the first weeks when Alfred followed him everywhere around the school and his babbling wouldn't stop. The appreciation he felt when Alfred had defended him with so much passion from the others. Alfred's loyalty never succumbing to the dark and true rumors that floated around. He remembered the first time he had noticed how Alfred's cheeks flooded with red after seeing him. The feeling of his heart beating so hard when Alfred was near that it felt as if it wanted to reap through his body. The absolute happiness when he said those three words for the first time after weeks of suspense and anxiety. The first kiss.

Yeah, Alfred was a fool. But he was his fool and his fool was dying.

Arthur had received the warning from his professor.

"_You are only guiding him through a road of destruction. You are going to regret it, Arthur. Don't do that to yourself and, if you really care, don't do that to him."_

Arthur had ignored those wise words and the consequence was right before him. He hated himself and his stubbornness. He cursed the day he had been born. He cursed the day he had crossed paths with the blue eyed boy. He cursed the day his mother….

"_There's only one thing I can give you, Arthur. Use it wisely for it'll work only once and no more." _

And suddenly Arthur remembered his mother's words and the gift she gave him before dying. That little golden ring with the crystal jewel incrusted. Arthur reached for the golden chain he had around his neck where the golden ring always hung. He took out the ring from the chain and watched the golden ring shine for a moment. It was beautiful, modeled after a twisted stem of a delicate plant where the diamond that shinned in the middle of where the golden stems joined represented a blooming flower ready to show its beauty to the world. If that ring could fix everything, if that ring could save his beloved, then he was going to use it no matter what he had to do or lose. No matter the consequences.

"Arthur?"

Alfred's voice was only a tiny weak whisper, but the confusion could be easily heard. Oh his dear Alfred! Suffering such a cruel and unfair fate because of him. Arthur put one hand on Alfred's cold cheek, fingers tracing the curve of his face one last time trying to imprint the feeling in his memory, and caressed it gently to show all the love he felt for Alfred; for his lover.

"Everything is going to be alright, Alfred." Arthur said with his voice completely calm even when his entire body was trembling. Slowly, he took one of Alfred's hands, the right one, the one that had allowed the golden boy to have an outstanding skill with the sword, and ran the fingers of his other hand through the golden locks of his lover engraving the soft sensation of the silky, and now bloodied, brands in his brain.

He was going to miss it and miss him.

He was going to cry for the hole of Alfred's presence was going to be there to remind him of this day.

He was going to smile because he had the opportunity to fix everything.

He was going to save Alfred because he meant everything to him.

"What….are…you…?"

Arthur took one of Alfred's fingers and approached the ring to it. The golden boy's question dismissed with that single motion.

"I'll save you Alfred. I promise and I swear. You are never going to suffer again something like this."

Alfred's eyes opened wide with fear when he heard Arthur's words. He tried to take his hand away, but he couldn't move his body anymore; the death was taking over his force.

_No, Arthur_.

That's what he wanted to scream to the boy who was leaning over him. The golden ring shined in Arthur's hands making Alfred's eyes shift toward the tinny object. It was the golden sparkle that whenever Arthur was around had always attracted his attention. He had always wanted to ask about the ring, but his curiosity had never been satiated. Right now, he wasn't curious; he was afraid of the jewel. Arthur was going to use it for something; something he was going to hate whatever it was. He wanted Arthur, nothing more, no one else.

_I don't regret it. I'll never regret it. Please don't. _

But nothing came out of his mouth. He could only watch how Arthur cried, his emerald eyes losing the brightness they had shown only to him, while holding that ring in his hands. Bit by bit the golden thing was getting closer to his finger and Alfred knew he couldn't do anything to stop it.

"N….o" Alfred tried to say.

Arthur shook his head and put the ring on Alfred's finger. He was going to save him from all the pain. He was going to save him from the death. He was going to save Alfred from him, Arthur Kirkland. He was going to do everything to accomplish it. He was prepared for everything. Even if it meant that Alfred had to forget him, even if all their memories had to disappear, even if those blue eyes that had always looked at him with love and adoration had to look at him with indifference or hate. Arthur was prepared to lose the love of his life in order to save him. He was prepared, but it was still painful.

The precious stone on the ring that was now on Alfred's finger turned black seconds after it touched his skin. Arthur bent over Alfred placing softly one last kiss on his lips and a smile full of pain and sadness came out of his lips as he watched the pain that lingered on his lover's face disappear.

"I love you Alfred"


	2. Chapter 1 The Mission

**Hello!**

**I just have one thing to say before. ****The previous chapter was just a little introduction, so just a tiny warning. This chapter may be more confusing than the one before. You will end up with more questions and no answers. Yes, I know it can be frustrating, but patience is a great ally. **

**If there is any mistake, no matter how little, please let me know. I want to improve my spelling and sometimes another pair of eyes helps a lot. **

**Enjoy!**

**_Danise Nowak _ **

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_**Ch1. The Mission**_

The blow had been unexpected.

The city of Nighton was full of life; the perfect example of how a big city should be.

Merchants set their stalls in the central market; colorful tents that varied in size, type and products. The shapes and colors that were reunited there and decorated each one of the tents could entertain equally kids, women, men and the ones who had more age than teeth. You didn't have to buy in order to spend hours and hours walking through the stalls. The market was always full of the strangest characters you could find. Thousands traveled to Nighton to offer their new products to the rising wealthy population that inhabited there. You could see great lords from the east with their extravagant clothes made of the softest silk and golden buttons, fishermen with tanned skin for the wind that blew in the ocean was not kind, travelling musicians with wooden harps, guitars and flutes playing popular songs created for the high society that lived at the capital. Wives or servants bought the necessary ingredients to cook supper. The ritual of seasoning the pork, beef and chicken, cutting the vegetables into perfect squares, baking the sweets with a touch of caramel and cinnamon , always lasted too long for the hungry stomachs of the young ones and husbands. Children played barefoot in the streets chasing after famished dogs that could recognize the evil glint in their eyes, stealing food and sweets from unlucky stores or throwing sharp rocks to the birds resting on the branches of the trees. **Everything had been normal. **Even the trials, carefully scheduled each day to avoid mistakes and conflicts, had begun with the usual formality.

The racket the city created on a daily basis could be heard from the top of the green hill, called after the soft greenish grass full of dandelions that grew there, that could be seen a few miles away to the south. One moment you could hear all those voices, laughs and whispers and then, only silence was heard.

Nighton met its end quite quickly. Without a warning and without mercy. Almost everyone perished and the few survivors took their few remaining belongings and abandoned the area as fast as they could wishing the bad luck to remain there forever without chasing the already wretched. Rumors said that a demon's fury, so feared through the entire realm but kept as a mere legend and a nighttime story, had caused the disgrace. Rumors said it was a curse, a powerful one, which had fallen over the people of Nighton for not giving the proper tributes to the Gods and forgetting the old customs. No one mentioned anything about the capital, famous for having forgotten those sacred customs centuries ago and still standing despite the new and almost sacrilegious customs. There were plenty of theories about what had caused the ruin of the blooming city of Nighton, but they remained as that, theories, and no one really knew what had really happened in the third largest city of the realm.

That was the reason why the High Council of the Realm had been summoned. The folk were scared. Cults had appeared like a plague of ants to feed the people's fear. They asked for answers that the ones in power didn't have, and clever heads didn't take too long to appear with malicious plans and a destructive imagination to provide wrong answers. It had only been a great coincidence when a lucky soldier found a convicted man, almost dying of starvation, who was a survivor of the dead city of Nighton. He had been walking down the Silver Road, the snake road as others called it for the old once white now gray stones curved through hills, mountains and fields to connect the south and the capital, talking to himself like a madman with ragged and dirty clothes barely covering his anatomy and skin framing perfectly every single bone in his body. Such man was standing now in front of the thirteen heads that formed the High Council and a few others that were required to assist.

"Talk once again" Ordered one of the High Council members, the one who seemed the most important. His voice rose over the soft murmurs the other members created and called for silence. "Tell us what happened in Nighton."

The madman turned to look at him with vacant eyes and sunken cheeks. His body could still be considered skeletal, but much better than the state in which he was found. His gaze was lost somewhere else as if he was flying through the skies instead of being in front of the most powerful men of the Realm, but after some seconds of waiting, much to the Council members' distaste and impatience, the man shook his head, greasy hair moving softly with the motion, and a little bit of life returned to his grayish skin. His hands started to tremble as he remembered once again what he wanted so much to forget making the chains that were attached to his wrists clash with each other. The piercing sound of the metal links echoed through the room like an ominous omen.

"We were in the trials, my lord." He started, his voice shaking. He had used the tittle he always used for the noble men that crossed his path. "I was standing in front of the judge, waiting. I was really nervous for I was going to listen to the final verdict. Just as the honorable…" The man smirked at the sarcastic adjective he had given the man who had condemned him. "… judge was about to open his mouth, we heard a roar. The ground trembled and after that everything turned into a chaos. People ran, screamed and cried. Here and there women, children and men cried and fear could be seen everywhere." He moved his hands pointing to his surroundings as if he was again standing in the judgment room with the crying souls running left and right. The clatter of the chains only made his narration more macabre. "I just returned to my chair, my lord, like a good prisoner should, and waited." The man laughed dryly and shook his head. His hands rose until they were over his head and he grabbed two fists of his hair with a desperate air succeeding on pulling out dark and dirty strands of it which fell to the floor. "I was waiting for all the turmoil to end, but it didn't. The roar increased and the ground started to shake more violently. And then, there was silence. Absolut silence; the kind of silence you only hear when you are around the dead. I was curious; I must accept it. I had never heard so much calm in my life so I went outside. Terrible mistake. Oh, how much I wish I hadn't! Everything was destroyed. The buildings, the so mighty buildings, the proud of Nighton, were falling and there was a huge crack going through the city. But that was not important. No, my lord..." The man's eyes locked on the man before him and a glint of madness crossed them as he remembered the worst. "… what made me piss myself in fear was the figure standing in the middle of what once was the main street." He stopped talking with the insane smirk still in his lips.

"Can you remember the appearance of that man? How did he look like?"

The madman chuckled as if the council man had just told him the funniest joke in the world. Everyone frowned in response; thoughts criticizing the lack of respect from the madman flying through almost everyone's minds. He stopped laughing and took a step closer to the council man, but the chains didn't allow him to take more than one step before stopping his motion. His ankles were already red for he had tried, unsuccessfully, to escape several time before the audience.

"No, my lord, not a man. A girl. She had long reddish hair that fell up to her waist. Her dark cloak contrasted nicely with her pale skin. She was beautiful, oh yes she was, slender and voluptuous, the perfect bitch to fuck, but my lord it took me mere seconds to realize she was not human." The laugh that left his lips was short and bitter. "When she spun toward me, I saw the blood dripping from her hand and the long black nails that grew from her fingers covered with skin, blood, and pieces of bone. And her eyes, my lord. They were completely black. Oh God, I am dammed! I am going to die for having seen her, for having seen the devil!"

The madman started to cry; his entire body shaking with fear. No one felt compassion towards him. They had never seen a demon so they didn't know the fear it could cause to look into those dark and soulless eyes he had seen. For them, he was just a poor excuse of a human, closer to madness than anyone else in the room, and a possible liar.

"Did she tell you something?"

The crying suddenly stopped as if he had suddenly fallen into a trance and the madman stretched his back until he was standing completely straight. The sudden change in the attitude of the prisoner made everyone nervous. What had the demon told the madman?

"Bring him to me." The madman said with a mechanic voice as if he was repeating something he had learnt ages ago.

"Bring who?"

"Bring me the Green Wizard."

Silence fell in the room after the madman's words. It was broken when the man started to laugh hysterically pulling his hair as if he wanted to reap it all from his head. The hysterical laugh filled the silent room and the council members watched the man with fearful eyes. It was a threat; they knew when to recognize one and a demon's threat was the worst curse someone could get.

"Get him out." Someone ordered to a guard.

The madman was roughly taken from the armpits by two guards of silver armor and dragged outside of the room. When the door was closed and the laugh could not be heard anymore, all chaos broke.

"The Green Wizard?"

"Who is him?"

"He must be a liar."

"I have never heard of someone with that name."

"A sick joke. It must be a sick joke."

"A demon! Can you believe a demon dared to attack us?!"

"Are you sure it was a demon? He could be lying. It could have been something else."

"What else could have caused something like that, brute?"

"Why would the demon want that Green Wizard?"

"Silence" A voice demanded and immediately everyone stopped talking. "We are not a group of women, gentleman. I beg you to please refrain from making imprudent and ridiculous remarks."

"And what do you suggest, Sir Cynric Noonan? No one knows the person who calls himself the Green Wizard, and following the, oh so noble, nature of the demons, if it really was one of those creatures, they will surely attack again." Edric Ward talked watching the head of the council with angry eyes. His hate was not hidden at all in his words; the rivalry between the council members was common and always caused problems to the Realm.

"Are you sure of that? Who can be sure of that and prove it? Because I can't hear anyone offering to do it with all the noise everyone is making." Said Sir Cynric turning to look at the rest of the council. His eyes scanned the entire room and no one dared to say anything. Edric Ward took a sit again, but his lips were pressed in a tight line showing his displeasure. "Now, is it truth that no one has heard of this Green Wizard?"

There was a moment of silence in the room before someone cleared his throat. Everyone turned to look at the man who had raised his hand after making that noise. A man of sandy golden hair and bright green eyes with his hand raised smiled from his seat a few steps away from Sir Cynric. Sir Lyndon Kirkland's smile turned into a smirk when everyone's eyes landed on him. He stood up slowly from his sit, pretended to clean his clothes from invisible dust, and walked to the center of the room as the representation of a true nobleman. He could feel eyes following every movement he made and the attention pleased him like nothing else could. He had the control of the room at the moment.

"I have heard something about a Green Wizard." He said showing in his face the satisfaction he felt. "As everyone here knows, my eldest son, Ian, is defending right now the northern fort. He told me of an interesting rumor going around between the folk, one that mentioned a Green Wizard living deep inside of the Black Forest. Of course at that time I didn't think it would be so important, but now it is different." Lyndon Kirkland smiled full of confidence. "I can offer myself to bring that Green Wizard here, if you all agree of course."

"Lyndon Kirkland is going to fetch a simple wizard. I can't see that happening." Said Sir Cynric Noonan with a little smile. "After all, your place is here in the council. Who are you going to send then?"

"He is in this room, Sir Cynric" Lyndon ignored the hidden attack in Cynric's words and turned around searching with his eyes for the boy he had chosen. A smile crossed his lips when he found him. A young boy was standing near one of the dark corners of the room. He was far enough to pass unnoticed but close enough to hear everything. Lyndon could see from his place the shine in the boy's eyes when their eyes met. With a nod, he indicated the boy to approach.

Everyone turned to look at the figure that was moving across the room. Once the light touched the boy's face, he was recognized. Fair golden hair, a little messy but it could be seen he had tried to comb it, two deep blue eyes that stared around with curiosity but also with an abnormal intelligence shining through them, a strong body with silk clothes on; clothes that identified him as a member of the army for the silver crest could be seen on his chest over his heart. A young warrior.

"I want to present you the best warrior there is in the Academy, Alfred F. Jones." Lyndon said putting a hand on the boy's left shoulder and daring anyone with his eyes to say something against his choice, but no one did because Alfred's reputation was well known. After a moment of silence he turned to Sir Cynric Noonan. "I presume you know of the boy, Sir Cynric."

It was almost unnoticeable the flash of anger that passed through Alfred's eyes when Lyndon said the word boy to refer to him, but Sir Cynric saw it and hid his smile. So even Lyndon's favorite was annoyed with the arrogant man that was his master. He could use that knowledge later.

"I do, Sir Lyndon." Said the head of the High Council. "The astounding case of a young boy defeating the best veteran warriors in the Academy. I can't think of a single person who hasn't heard of it, but, are you sure he is capable of completing the task? His force doesn't hide the fact that he is young and inexperienced." Sir Cynric mentally apologized with the boy. He had nothing personal against him, but being the puppet of Kirkland turned him into his enemy, at least for now, and one does not go easy or pity the enemy just because he is young.

"I assure you he can." Said Sir Lyndon with a forced smile at the insinuation of Sir Cynric. The head of the High Council was making this personal and Lyndon Kirkland didn't want another conflict to hinder his plans. He needed to accomplish this and gain the trust of the other members. "He will be traveling with captain Bonnefoy and with the great mage Matthew Williams who, as you know, is the best and most powerful magician of the Realm."

Many heads nodded with approval after hearing Sir Lyndon Kirkland words and the team he had chosen. Captain Bonnefoy was respected and recognized through the entire Realm. He had been the one who commanded the troops in the last battle against the neighboring kingdom and achieved the victory. The man had a great career inside the army to back up his experience. Even with his eccentricities, he was respected and that was something hard to obtain for the Council members distrusted even their wives. As for Matthew Williams, he had gained the tittle of the most powerful mage shortly after leaving the Royal Academy and he was still twenty three years old. The mage he had beaten to gain the title was a man in his fifties who had stayed as the most powerful almost eighteen years. It had been a surprise for everyone when a young lad had appeared and defeated him almost easily.

"Then, I can't oppose any more to your ideas, Sir Lyndon. I hope your plans do have results."

"They will"

"We are all hoping for that." Said Sir Cynric with his lips pressed tightly. He couldn't do anything against Lyndon for now. His eyes roamed the room meeting everyone's eyes before finally standing up. Many of those eyes were looking at Lyndon Kirkland with respect and trust, however not everyone was happy with the rising power of the Kirkland house's leader. "Then, we can consider this summon finished." Everyone nodded and imitated Sir Cynric as he exited the room.

Sir Lyndon Kirkland and Alfed F. Jones remained in the room without making any gesture to move as everyone walked beside them and then through the door. The Council member turned to look at the boy with cold green eyes. Alfred maintained his expressionless face even though he could feel a shiver traveling through his back and didn't dare to look back with any kind of emotion showing through his eyes. Lyndon Kirkland had one of the scariest eyes he had ever seen. Even if they were an astonishing green, for there were few people with that color in the eyes and most of them were members of the Kirkland house, they lacked compassion and showed his practical way of thinking, which was not always ethical. If you were useless to him, he wouldn't hesitate to get rid of you. As simple as that.

"_I am glad I am useful." Alfred thought as those eyes watched him. _

"You better not fail me, Jones" He said fixing his cold stare on Alfred's eyes to show who was the most powerful one. Alfred was forced with that gesture to return the look. The boy could feel the threat nicely disguised in those words. _If you fail me consider your life done._

"I won't"

Lyndon Kirkland nodded once and left the room without sparing another glance to the boy he had chosen. Once he was all alone, Alfred let out a deep sigh of relief. Being in the presence of such a person was tiring and stressing. With slow steps, he exited the Council Chamber and walked towards the dining room. The dark walls, lighted with blue torches embed to the rock with magic every three meters, echoed his every step as if they wanted to remind him of the threat hidden in Kirkland's words. Alfred shook his head and passed his fingers through his messy hair. He needed something to fill the hole those cold eyes had left inside of his body. As he approached his goal, the big and always welcoming dining hall, his stomach started to growl due to the smell of food floating in the air. He sniffed and a smile immediately appeared in his lips.

"Turkey. Please tell me there is turkey today." He murmured quickening his pace.

Just as he was about to push the big wooden door that will finally lead him to the wanted food, a slender but strong hand stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. Alfred groaned and turned around knowing who the one that had stopped him was. Two eyes that were a clear blue, much clearer than his own sky blue eyes, stared back at him.

"Francis" Alfred whined. "I want food."

"_Mon Dieu, _Alfred, with all the food you eat, you will end up being a big ball of fat rolling around the Realm."

"I am not fat, Francis" Alfred said shrugging off of his shoulder the hand of the famous Captain and discretely touching his right flank. He always did that when someone called him fat to reassure himself that he was not. The motion did not pass unnoticed by the Captain. "I do plenty of things to get rid of all the things I eat."

"Oh yeah" Francis said with a smirk that never announced good intentions. "Fighting and being stupid." He leaned towards Alfred and whispered in his ear with a soft and seductive voice. "I could show you some other….._more efficient_ ways, _mon cher."_

"I am not going to have sex with you, Francis. No matter how much you insist. You have plenty of options out there." Alfred said with a sigh to cover the shiver of desire that had passed through his body when Francis used that voice. The deep voice his ear had received invited him to many pleasurable things and, dammit, he was a man after all and Francis knew his desires pretty well, but he was not going to be another one of the bunch Francis used and dumped. Sometimes he hated this side of Captain Bonnefoy. He could resist, with a huge willpower behind it, the one that had rejected him the most; well, if you didn't count Francis' true love interest. However that didn't seem to harm his natural charms or confidence because there were plenty who, literally, threw themselves to him. And it was not as if he rejected them, not at all. The more the merrier, he always said.

"The things we can't get are the ones we want the most." Francis purred caressing Alfred's cheek with the tenderness of a lover. "And the forbidden ones also apply."

Alfred bit the inside of his cheek and fought the need to lean into that hand. He pushed Francis away even if the touch was not something he hated and cursed silently. He needed someone in his bed tonight, or he could end up saying yes to the pervert he had in front. He had to use a low punch to shake Francis off him.

"Then go after Matt. I bet he is more unattainable than me."

Francis immediately paled at the mention of Matthew Williams causing Alfred to smirk. _One point for Alfred. _Bonnefoy had tried, and really hard, with Matthew, but who could have known the little mage who looked as delicate as a rose could turn into such a frightful beast when annoyed? Francis still had the marks in his body and mind, and they were not going to disappear at all in a near future.

"Not funny, Alfred." Francis said with a scowl feeling more annoyed than scared at the mention of his, still biggest, failure.

Alfred shrugged and finally pushed the door open thanking the Gods for giving him access to Francis' personal information. His nose was immediately attacked with the smell of roasted Turkey and fried vegetables. He could feel his mouth instantly watering and his eyes searched for the cooked bird with hunger shining through them.

The dining hall was big enough to shelter a hundred hungry soldiers. Blue and silver flags with a sapphire stallion, symbol of Sir Cynric Noonan's house, were hanging from the tall ceiling. Whenever a new Council's chieftain was selected, his house's banner would decorate the walls of the fortress. Alfred's eyes traveled through the room until he saw a head of golden hair. He practically skipped to the table where the golden hair was and sat beside the owner.

"Hey Matt!"

Matthew Williams lifted his head slowly, already used to the hyperactive Jones, and dedicated a small smile to his friend clearly not caring about his appearance. Alfred's eyes locked on the food served on the dish his friend had in front and identified the substance Matthew was eating in an instant.

"Not fair, Matt! You started without me!"

Matthew slowly chewed and swallowed the rest of the turkey before answering. He knew that by doing that Alfred would get more irritated. He registered Francis' presence behind Alfred but ignored it the best he could; dealing with the captain was not one of his priorities today.

"You took too long." He simply said taking another piece of turkey into his mouth. Alfred pouted but said nothing. A hungry Matthew was as dangerous as an angry Matthew. He could forget the offence and let Matthew do whatever he wanted. The warrior ran to the main table where the food was served searching for a piece of bird and returned with a dish of greasy turkey and two jars full of beer. Matthew thanked him for the drink and proceeded to gulp down the yellowish liquid.

Francis took a sit in front of the blonds without saying a word. He had learnt, and not in the nicest way, not to disrupt them while they were eating. He wanted to avoid pieces of turkey flying towards his face because Alfred had the disgusting custom of talking with his mouth full of whatever he was eating. And he didn't want to annoy Matthew again. Maybe that was the main reason; at least he could tolerate Alfred's obscenities, but the magician was in another level. He had received enough bruises from the little man to finally learn that Matthew did have a limit to his endless patience. Apparently, he always managed to reach that limit several times in a rod. Actually, he had been the only one to achieve that goal according to Alfred.

He turned to see the big dish at the main table which contained the turkey. The bird was resting on a bed of roasted apples and covered with a brownish sauce that, Francis suspected, was sweet. It looked good except for the big pools of oil and grease that could be seen dripping from the meat. Francis Bonnefoy was never going to be able to comprehend why the two men in front of him liked the dish so much when it was so unhealthy. The amount of fat it contained was absolutely terrifying.

"You are doing it again."

Francis' thoughts were interrupted when a quiet voice talked. Matthew had just finished, he was really fast at eating, and was looking at the Captain with a little smirk. Francis shivered. _That smirk._ It looked so wrong in the delicate features of the boy, but made him so attractive at the same time; desirable. Matthew Williams could be called beautiful and handsome. He had blond hair, a blond that was not far from being white, but managed to appear strawberry blonde under the sun, two blue eyes that looked almost violet, and an innocent smile that could melt any heart. Many said he was the living representation of how the Northerners looked; Matthew always replied that he was the exact opposite of how a northerner should be. But that was just the sweet side, just the point of the iceberg of who Matthew Williams really was. There was so much more hidden and no one, not even Alfred, could declare they knew Matthew perfectly. It was such a pity, and it still hurt, that he had rejected him.

"I am doing what, _cher?_"

Matthew's right eye twitched at the nickname but the smirk didn't disappear from his lips. He was not going to please Francis by showing his annoyance. After all, the captain was known for the nicknames he gave to practically everyone who crossed his path and, apparently, he was no exception.

"You are looking at the food as if it was garbage." Matthew said wiping the grease from his mouth with a napkin he found on the table. He didn't know to whom it had belonged, but who cared? If it was still clean, it worked.

"For me there is no difference."

"You are so picky, Francis." Matthew said raising a blond eyebrow, napkin now resting under his hand. He called the captain in such a friendly manner for the man wouldn't stop whining if he suddenly decided to call him _Captain Bonnefoy._ A whining Francis was the worst nightmare one could have. "What are you going to eat during the entire trip?"

Francis turned to look at Matthew completely confused.

"Trip? What trip?"

Matthew sighed as if he had been expecting Francis' reaction and turned to look at Alfred, who was devouring the food almost without breathing. His eyebrow remained raised as he looked at the warrior until Alfred actually noticed Matthew looking at him.

"Oh m'n, h' didn't hear m' 'gain!" Alfred whined while chewing a piece of turkey. Francis grimaced when he saw pieces of meat through Alfred's open mouth. The bits of meat were being smashed by Alfred's teeth. It was not a view someone wanted to see; at all. Luckily, Matthew also saw the fantastic view and proceeded to smack Alfred on the back of his head.

"Close your mouth, Alfred. That's disgusting."

Alfred obeyed and closed his mouth murmuring an apology and finished chewing his food. He massaged the area where Matthew had hit before opening his mouth to talk again.

"We have a mission!" Alfred announced proudly the second he could talk without feeling the threat of being hit. "Lyndon Kirkland wants us, the three of us, to go north to the Black Forest and find this guy called the Green Wizard."

"Lyndon Kirkland." Matthew muttered with his fists clenched and hate dripping form every word. Francis couldn't blame him. Almost everyone hated the man. He was cruel, merciless and, honestly, scary. That and they were in debt with him. Alfred, Matthew and Francis. A stupid debt that forced them to obey every word Lyndon Kirkland uttered. They were, quite literally, his dogs to do as he pleased. They had taken many, many of his requests, where they had almost lost their lives and not a single thank you was received. Lyndon Kirkland did not thank the ones that should obey him. He expected you to accomplish the task and if you couldn't he could easily discard you and select another one.

"Ah, I guess we don't have any option."

"Nope" Alfred said shaking his head already resigned to his fate. He had understood long ago, and God he had understood it in a bad way, that Kirkland's orders were absolute. He may express his orders as mere suggestions, but fool the one who didn't catch the real meaning behind his words. Being his favorite was not something to be or feel proud of. Alfred had to obey EVERYTHING and was expected to succeed. He couldn't make mistakes like everyone else; he had to do the perfect job.

Alfred opened his mouth but stopped suddenly and leaned forward with a serious expression in his face. Matthew and Francis understood that he wanted to say something important or at least something not everyone should hear and imitated his movement. There were few times, almost non-existent actually, when Alfred's smile disappeared and none of them had to be taken as a joke. "It has to do with the tragedy occurred in Nighton."

Francis frowned. What was the relation between a wizard living so far away from Nighton to the horrible tragedy it had occurred there? Had he been responsible for the disappearance of the city? Had he killed the entire town? Did he know something about the incident? However, Francis knew there was something deeper there, because Lyndon Kirkland wouldn't get involved in petty matters such as capturing a little criminal; less a wizard. But as much as he was trying to discover the real reason, nothing came to his mind. It made no sense. Matthew seemed to be thinking the same because he opened his mouth to ask for more details but stopped when Alfred shook his head. They immediately realized how many eyes and ears surrounded them. Curious people were always the most dangerous. It was not safe to talk.

"Not here. Let's prepare everything for the trip and I will explain in the way."

Francis and Matthew only nodded. Something smelled fishy in this new mission, but they couldn't really expect anything different. Lyndon Kirkland was never involved in charity missions. Alfred finished his food as fast as he could, much to Matthew's and Francis' distaste for they had to watch the whole process, and stood up. The three of them walked to the exit in silence. Only one look of concern was shared between Matthew and Francis before exiting the room. Why would Lyndon Kirkland send them to this kind of mission?

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**Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Chapter 2 Closed Doors

**Hello! I know I took a really long time to update, but I had so many things I had to deal with (College and all that). However here it is! The next chapter! *Claps* **

**Okay, I have one big, gigantic, WARNING. The contents in this chapter may, how can I say it, UPSET you. You may end up screaming why?! That is not logic! This is stupid! But please take into account that this is necessary for the plot. I am trying to describe each one of the characters, not only the main characters. It is somehow difficult to explain, but you will understand later; I promise. **

**That being said, I hope you like this chapter! **

**Greetings, **

_**Danise Nowak**_

* * *

_**Ch. 2 Closed Doors**_

"This is so boooooring." Alfred whined.

Matthew and Francis sighed. From the moment they had left the capital behind, Alfred hadn't stopped whining about everything; and everything meant, literally, everything. From the way the sun shined and didn't let him open his eyes without having the urge to sneeze, to the ugly color of the mud their horses were stepping on. That had started three days ago. Three days with their ears full of Alfred's stupid complains. Honestly, they were also bored. Who wouldn't? Outside of the capital there were only plains covered with short green grass and random fields of flowers. Of course, at the beginning, the change of scenery had been welcomed by them. The odor-free air that filled their noses, the calm that surrounded them and the pressure-free feeling was not something they could despise, but after three hours it was just too much nature, too much space surrounding them, too much calm. They were city boys and they couldn't deny it. They were used to the life within a city. The adrenaline of running through the streets between horses, selling carts and people in Alfred's case. The solicitude of a quiet room where you could read in peace for hours in Matthew's case. People to talk, or interact, in Francis's case. Even with the chants of the birds and the occasional small animal, mostly fast rabbits, running close enough to hear the rumor of the grass moving as they passed, the silence was disturbing. That is why right now they were not in the best mood. They wanted to see something familiar, something close to civilization or similar to the life they were used to. Unfortunately, the next nearest town, to the north of course because they were heading in that direction, was several kilometers away, where the first small, but still the biggest for them, forest appeared.

Said town could be seen right now by the three travelers. They only had to force their eyes a little bit to distinguish diffused shadows which could be described as buildings, most likely houses, in the horizon. The fact that they could see that indicated how close they actually were to the town. Even so, Alfred was still bored and kept doing everything he could to bother his two companions. As close as they could be, it was still too far for him. The landscape around hadn't changed at all. After three days of riding a horse through fields of green and occasional spots of colorful flowers, he was tired of it. The little he could see, not even the complete profile of the closest house, of the town didn't comfort him at all.

"We will arrive to the town in less than one hour, Alfred. Be patient." Matthew said clenching and unclenching his fists. Francis smirked. So even the little Matthew, someone recognized for having a legendary patience towards Alfred's hyperactivity, was getting tired of the warrior?

"But Mattieeeee" Alfred whined again. Francis was starting to hate the childish ring the warrior used to do it. "That town looks so boring!" Alfred continued. "Lumberjacks and farmers. Nothing of my interest. I bet it is a tiny town, not big enough to deserve the title of town, what can I find there? Nothing."

"I am pretty sure every town has a blacksmith." Matthew said in a harsh tone and sending Alfred a dark look. "You will not get bored."

"There are also women!" Francis chirped comforted by the idea of someone warming his bed after so long. "You will never get bored with them."

"Small town blacksmiths are not useful, Mattie. They only know how to make basic swords, but mostly tools used for farming."

Francis frowned when he was completely ignored by the two youngsters. What was their problem? Were they not men? Did they not feel men's necessities? They couldn't be considered men with that kind of attitude.

"You are not in the city anymore, Al!" Matthew exclaimed exasperated. "Don't expect too much. Even so, they say that little towns tend to have more secrets than an enchantment book; especially towns in the north."

"Why is that?" Curiosity dripped from Alfred's words like honey after the mage's statement.

"They didn't have as much protection as the south. They had to create methods to defend themselves." Matthew muttered looking at the town ahead. "Interesting methods."

Alfred didn't say more. He knew Matthew came from one of those northern towns, but he never spoke of his life there. He had tried to ask, but met only with silence. During their years as students in the Academy, Matthew sometimes returned to his home, but not a word was said about his time there. A frown appeared in his temple. Matthew was so complicated; always keeping secrets, even from him, his oldest friend! But no one could blame him. They had learnt that it was better to remain in silence about the past unless you wanted enemies or become more vulnerable than a baby. And if you were vulnerable, you were a perfect victim to manipulate. They only made that mistake once, when they were so young and innocent that the world's evil was something they had not yet discovered, and they were still paying for it.

Not wanting to irritate the magician more, Alfred opted to look around. Maybe he could discover some of those secrets northerners hid so well. He leaned his body forward so that he didn't have to grab the reins of the horse putting instead his hand over the white mane of the animal, and looked to the ground.

The green grass was slowly disappearing and small bushes replaced it, but not normal bushes. Thorns and spikes formed those grayish bushes which constantly got jammed with clothes. It was safer to wear a pair of thick boots or ride a horse, as they were doing, in order to avoid that irritating problem. Mud covered everything making the landscape appear a little depressing and considerably dark. Yeah, maybe the green grass wasn't so bad after all. The horse kicked a rock with its hoof startling Alfred. He sat straight on the saddle and raised his eyes to look around. The plain, because it was still a plain, was covered with sharp unstable rocks that were constantly being kicked by the horses.

"Maybe there is a mine near." Alfred thought looking at the amount of rocks on the ground.

A mine. That would make the town more interesting.

"I really need to take a bath."

Francis's voice made Alfred leave his little world of fantasy and return to his companions' side. He turned to look at the man with his eyes fixed on the figure of his captain. Francis had his hair tied up in a horsetail at the back of his neck with a black leather strap with silver flowers and a light metal armor that reflected the sun's rays. As expected of the man, he was wearing a silk white shirt and black pants with dark and delicate boots. Alfred didn't have the heart to tell him those boots were useless in the forest. Maybe when they actually started to walk through the woods he would tell him. Maybe. After all, it was the captain's fault if he thought a trip of this nature was a place to dress as a rich prince. Francis laughed at something Matthew had said and Alfred grimaced when the laugh reached his ears. He hated the man's laughter. Maybe he was not exactly the right person to despise the laughter of another because his own was extremely loud and maddening, as Matthew had once told him, but Francis had this especial ring that Alfred couldn't tolerate.

Francis stopped laughing and Alfred thanked the Gods for it. He could have punched, he had done it before, Francis in the face if he had continued with that annoying sound. After all the years they had been around each other, there was only one thing Alfred could actually envy of the man, and that was his hair. Alfred didn't know how he did it, but Francis Bonnefoy had the best hair of the entire kingdom. It was always shiny and silky. The vain man was proud of his hair and rubbed it in his face every time he could. It was not as if Alfred's hair was horrible or disastrous. In fact, it was also silky and shiny, but he had to keep it short because it tended to have life of its own and combing it was as useless as Francis trying to be humble.

"I can't believe I am criticizing Francis inside of my head." Alfred groaned quietly making Francis turned to look at him curiously. He could not have fallen so low, could he? Was he so bored? Suddenly an idea crossed his mind. "Hey, Mattie, Francis. A race to the town. The one who gets there first will not pay dinner."

"Deal" Matthew said before Francis could open his mouth to protest against the ridiculous idea.

Two seconds after their horses were galloping at full speed towards the town. Matthew's chocolate mare neighed and increased her velocity taking the first place. Alfred groaned and sank his heels into the side of his white horse until he was beside Matthew.

Francis shook his head and remained in the third position without doing anything to catch up with the other two. Alfred and Matthew were always so competitive that, he could say, they were in the border of madness, if not already in that category. They made literally everything to win over the other. Everything. That included cheating of course and whilst it was amusing to watch, sometimes, Francis worried they could get too violent. He had witnessed too many accidents in these competitions, and he did not want to take part in it. He was happy with his body intact, thank you very much. There were enough conflicts and battles where you could get hurt to tempt your fate in a stupid race or whatever they always invented. As he followed the boys, because for God's sake they could not be describes as nothing else with that kind of attitude, he could see this competition was not far from what he had expected. Alfred had already kicked Matthew's mare to slow the mage down and, in return, Matthew had pushed Alfred's horse to a rocky zone where the animal slipped several times. If either fell to the ground, he would not help them. They deserved the pain for being so childish.

They entered the town after half an hour, the time had been reduced for their pace had been monstrously fast, with both, horses and riders, gasping. Matthew and Alfred turned to see each other knowing they had tied, but they didn't care. They needed that race or they would have killed each other before reaching the town. Francis arrived later with a wide smile while looking as fresh as if he had been in the shower minutes before. Silently he was glad that there had been no accident this time.

"I guess everyone will pay for what they eat." He said grinning.

Matthew growled and wiped out the sweat that was accumulated on his face. The mare stepped on the floor as if she was synchronized and felt her master's frustration. He breathed deeply several times, Alfred imitating him, and closed his eyes to relax. The mage finally sighed after some minutes of trying to calm his racing heart and turned to look at what was around them.

To say the town was depressing was an understatement, but Matthew, more than anyone, knew how the towns in the North were.

The ground was covered in mud and rocks, not a single spot of a lively color could be seen, except some spots of dark green grass. Because of the mud, he could see the foot prints of someone who had passed through the same road not so long ago, but, except for that, the town seemed to be death. There was no one at sight. The windows were closed and the usual faces of the curious ones were not present. Why were they hiding?

He frowned and exchanged a look with an equally worried Alfred. This was not normal, not at all.

They started to go further into the town trying to spot the eyes they knew were watching their every step through the slits of the closed windows. They finally arrived to the center of the town; as Alfred had assumed it was a small town. The buildings were arranged so that they formed a circle around the biggest well the three travelers had ever seen. Right in front of them a big signpost could be read: "Deep Water Inn".

"I guess we can ask if they have rooms. Night is not that far away." Alfred said as he jumped off his horse.

Francis grimaced when Alfred's feet touched the ground and caused a little wave of mud to splash on his own boots. He looked at the newly mud spots that now decorated them and sighed. Maybe he had chosen a bad pair of boots for this trip. As he stepped on the mud he decided that actually he had chosen the worst pair of boots he could have decided to bring. His dirty and wet feet were prove enough.

"Let's go then." Matthew said resigned and followed Alfred.

The two blondes walked without waiting for their third companion. They had learnt to ignore Francis's whining after knowing with him for so long. They stopped at the Inn's door and pushed it gently in case there was someone inside. The wooden door opened without resistance and a warm wave of air crashed against their faces.

"Come in!"

The female voice startled them and immediately their eyes searched for the owner of said voice until they found a young woman behind an old wooden counter full of cups and glasses. Her eyes full of curiosity locked with Alfred's and a small smile formed in her mouth.

"Welcome, please come in. The night is almost here and dangers might come."

Alfred nodded and stepped in the room not completely sure of how he should react to those words. The girl was giving them such a warm welcome which contrasted with the cold image the town behind had given him and the warning hidden in her words.

"Three handsome clients. We are lucky tonight."

An older woman appeared after opening a door at the end of the room where a group of chairs and tables were arranged in three lines. Both women had long dresses that once had been white and now were a soft beige. The ends of the clothes showed a little trace of the lace that had adorned the fabric but now was almost gone. They had soft brown hair tied behind their necks in a bow. The older woman had her hands crossed one over her chest whilst the younger one had placed her head on her folded arms which were resting on the counter.

"What can we offer to you, sirs?"

"Rooms to spend the night, please." Asked Matthew with a smile. He was the one who was familiar with the north so neither Francis or Alfred protested when he took over the situation. "And if you have some food, we will be happy to pay for it."

"Of course."

The young woman disappeared from the room after sending them a smile whilst the older one walked to the counter and opened a big and heavy book hidden in one of the counter's drawers. She started searching for something in it, with her finger tracing the path her eyes followed as she silently read the words, until she happily hummed after finding whatever she was searching for.

"I have three rooms. I can manage to arrange them next to each other. Is that all right?"

"Yeah, thanks. That would be perfect." Matthew answered immediately. He didn't care about that.

"You are welcome, sir"

She then proceeded to search for the keys of the rooms hidden inside of another of the counter's drawers. They waited until she handed them the keys. They pieces of metal were rusted and roughly carved, but still useful for what they had been created for. If they could open a door, then they were not for disposal.

"Follow me please."

The old woman walked towards the door from where she had appeared after they had entered minutes ago with the three blondes following. Her feet moved incredibly fast considering her age; more or less fifty or sixty. She was old, but apparently strong.

The door opened with a creak and all they could see for a moment was black. The hall was dark, even with the big yellowish candles hanging from the wall every two meter or so, and the wooden floor creaked at every step they took. Alfred grimaced when he saw some spider webs hanging from the ceiling. Obviously it was not the best place to stay, but it was the only one in this damn town.

They passed two doors. Alfred frowned as they left them behind. The little inn, because it was miniscule, couldn't be full, right? The old woman finally stopped in front of a door of questionable quality and pushed it open. The room was nothing special; a small bed, a dirty window beside, and another small door that, maybe, led to the bathroom. The amount of light that was able to enter through the grayish glass was not enough to be able to distinguish the corners of the room. The whole thing sent shivers through the warrior's body; it was not nice, at all.

Alfred felt two hands land on his shoulders startling him and turned to look at his two companions. They were smiling mockingly; the words hidden in those smiles couldn't be clearer. _This is your room. Will you be able to endure?_ Sometimes he hated the fact that they knew as much about him, fears included, as he knew of them. Alfred scowled.

"I can assure you two I will make it through the night." He said pouting a little bit at the laughs that erupted from the other two. Assholes. "Idiots."

"Come, Alfred, let's see the other rooms and then eat. With some food in your stomach, maybe, you will make it." Said Matthew with an innocent smile which contrasted with the teasing tone his voice held. The warrior decided Matthew was the biggest asshole of the two.

Alfred only frowned, he knew Matthew was more than capable to win a verbal fight, and followed them in silence to the other rooms which were exactly the same as the first one. The woman then proceeded to guide her guests back to the tavern; the room where the counter with glasses was, as the woman explained.

As they arrived, the daughter was placing three dishes full of food in one of the tables of the room. If you looked close, the food was nothing special, potatoes, mutton, a few vegetables here and there, but food was food, as Alfred said, and the three of them thanked for it and started to eat. It tasted better than the improvised meals they had had on their way here. It was not as if they didn't know how to cook, Alfred was an exceptional case, for he only cooked things he liked, but more like the lack of the ingredients didn't allow them to prepare something decent.

After they finished, Matthew and Alfred waited for Francis's traditional remarks of disgust towards the food, but they never arrived. The two blondes turned to look at their Captain with confusion and surprise.

"I do know how to thank for the food I receive." He said after he noticed the incredulous stares from Matthew and Alfred. "It was delicious, beautiful lady." The last remark was directed to the young woman that approached to clean the table. Her cheeks immediately flushed red and a little smile appeared in her lips. Her hands trembled a little bit as she carried the empty dishes, for Francis was the one handing them to her being careful to actually touch her skin every time he handed a dish.

Alfred rolled his eyes at the sight already used to Francis' antics and Matthew irritated turned away his eyes from the scene. Their captain always had fun; in the capital or outside of the capital. He had this peculiar charm that threw women and men to his bed. Alfred still did not understand how he could resist working after said nights.

As Francis flirted with the woman, Alfred tried to remember the arrangement of the rooms. Which was the one beside Francis's? His or Matthew's? _Shit. _It was Matthew's. Alfred turned to look at the magician, who had his eyes fixed on the glasses piled up on the counter and trying to avoid looking directly at Francis. However, Alfred knew that Matthew was watching everything from the corner of his eye. He sighed and shook his head feeling the tension in the air.

Francis murmured something in the girl's ear and she nodded stupidly with a fresh blush coating her cheeks. Everyone knew what those words meant. Even after Francis left with a confident smile in his lips, but not after checking Matthew's reaction which was a blank face, and forcing said smile to appear.

Taking all that into account, Alfred was not surprised when Matthew entered in the middle of the night to his room. Alfred woke up when he felt another weight landing on his bed and a cold body snuggling against him.

"Mattie?"

"Yeah."

"What...?"

"Francis is fucking that little whore and the sounds are too fucking loud." Matthew explained closing the distance between him and Alfred's warm body. "I have not been able to sleep at all. Why is she screaming so much?" He made a pause and continued with a fake woman's voice that Alfred suspected was an imitation of said woman that was in Francis' bed right now. "Oh…Francis more...there...please…harder." He huffed. "Fucking little whore."

"Matt, calm down." Alfred said with a laugh, although he was a little worried because Matthew was angry and irritated and it was really difficult to deal with him in that state. "Since when...?"

"Since we went to bed." He answered immediately.

There was the reason why Matthew was like that. Not a bit of sleep in his system and Matthew turned into a grumpy and snarky beast. Although Alfred suspected it was not the only reason.

Alfred smiled softly understanding his suffering because he had lived those sleepless nights with a horny and loud Francis banging someone next door. He ruffled Matthew's soft locks and closed his eyes. They couldn't do anything about it. He had tried anything to silence Francis, but if an interruption in the middle of the act and a furious Alfred yelling him to shut up didn't work, they only had one alternative: sleep and try to ignore and forget.

"Sleep, Mattie."

The room was filled with silence again and Alfred was about to fall asleep when he felt a pair of hands touching his chest. The cold fingers traced circles on his warm skin causing shiver to run through his body.

"Matt?"

His companion did not answer and only buried his face in Alfred's neck. The warrior could feel the warmth of Matthew's breathing against his sensible skin and then he felt the soft touch of lips; a kiss. The fingers slowly started to snake down to his stomach which caused Alfred to become still as he realized what was going on. Matthew suddenly rubbing against him only confirmed his suspicions.

"Matt, don't tell me you..."

"I was listening for hours, Al, of course I am hard." He said softly without stopping his hands from going lower.

Matthew started to move his hips, softly rocking against Alfred. He knew Alfred was sensible to almost everything so he made his movements painfully slow until he felt a shiver of pleasure pass through his friend's body.

"You said it was the last time...aah..." Alfred could not finish his sentence because Matthew suddenly grabbed his cock. The skillful hand started to pump him as a finger teased the head. When had his hands passed under his pants? "Matt, stop." He half begged.

The magician ignored Alfred and continued pumping with a slow pace just to make Alfred lose his control faster. A hand grabbed his wrist trying to stop him, but it had not a strong hold. Matthew passed his leg over Alfred's body so that he was sitting on him. In that position he could see his face and he had more freedom to rock against Alfred. The warrior had his eyes closed as a reaction to the pleasure and his hand, the one that was no grabbing Matthew's wrist, covering his mouth to stop any sound from coming out. The magician had to admit Alfred looked incredibly sexy, but it was not enough, and it would never be enough. The feeling he had for Alfred were not those of a lover, but of a friend. He hated this part of him. Alfred was never going to say no if he was desperate, and he was at the moment, but the betrayal shinning in those blue eyes pierced through him. He wished he could stop, but he couldn't.

"Just relax, Al. You will enjoy it. I will certainly enjoy it. Just like all the other times."

To support his words he pumped Alfred's dick faster and grabbed the hand that was covering the warrior's mouth and pulled it to hear Alfred's moans.

Alfred closed his eyes with more force. Yeah, they had started to have sex when they were students in the Academy. A long time ago when they had been nothing but foolish teens full of hormones. They had continued with it. They realized many years after the emptiness of the act. The last time they had had sex they agreed that it had to stop. They were not in love and the act was getting tedious and mechanic. Just like a whore should do it, as Matthew had said. And they had stopped. They easily found other methods to satisfy their needs, but obviously Matthew had chosen to ignore their agreement. Alfred opened his eyes and half-glared at Matthew, not being able to show himself completely angry because, damn his body, he WAS enjoying it despite all.

"Touch me, Al"

Alfred watched as Matthew guided his hand to the bulge that had formed in his pants. Matthew was hard; so hard that the soft touch of his fingers over the thin cloth made him moan with pleasure.

"Last time, Matt. Promise me, please." Alfred asked palming Matthew's already hard cock over the clothes.

"I...I promise" He said as Alfred pulled down his pants and finally grabbed him as it should be. He licked his lips and trusted his hips against Alfred's hands asking for more.

Alfred sat on the bed. The hand that had previously tried to stop Matthew from pleasuring him was now on Matthew's back, pressing him closer, whilst the other pumped the magician faster and faster.

"Aah...Al…faster."

"You better not be lying, Matt." Alfred murmured in his ear with a seductive and yet dark voice. "This will be the last time."

Matthew nodded and Alfred bit his earlobe. The magician moaned and grabbed Alfred's shirt, leaving unattended Alfred's dick, as the other stroked his cock with more force. He leaned towards his neck and kissed it. He didn't waste time and started to suck the soft skin as a moan escaped his lips. He loved when he had sex with Alfred because he was completely different from the normal hyperactive and childlike Alfred. He turned controlling, serious, and oh so sexy, but still not what he wanted. They both knew it was just a form to release the sexual tension. Just a release.

"Ride me, Matt." Alfred murmured after biting and sucking again his earlobe. "Ride me." He repeated as an order and then he lay down on the bed watching Matthew with a smirk in his lips. He knew the magician was going to obey.

"Cocky warrior." Matthew said kicking his pants off of his legs and throwing them to the floor. He grabbed Alfred's hard, and previously unattended, cock and stroked it. "Always so bossy."

"You love…aah… that part of me." Alfred said watching every move Matthew made. The magician's naked body was above him, one of his hands stroking his cock and the other one inserted in his asshole. He just had to enjoy every moan that escaped Matthew's lips as he fingered and prepared himself. Matthew leaned a little bit searching for a better position to reach deeper with his three fingers already inside of him. Alfred bit his lower lip feeling his cock twitch with the image and pumped Matthew faster.

"Yes…ah…I love it." Matthew said taking his fingers out and rising a little bit his hips to position Alfred's cock at his entrance. Alfred loved watching the moment his cock penetrated the person he was having sex with, so he indulged the warrior with the sight smirking when he saw Alfred's eyes were fixed on the twitching cock near his entrance. "Indeed I do." With those words he lowered his hips and engulfed completely Alfred's dick.

The warrior groaned with the sudden warmth and tightness that surrounded his cock and, as a reaction, he trusted with the need of more of that feeling.

Matthew squeaked, surprised with the sudden feel of the cock invading him deeper when he was not yet prepared. He put his hands on Alfred's chest with short breaths leaving his mouth and tried to ignore the sudden pain. He had forgotten how eager his companion was.

"Wait a little bit, Al. I am the one riding you." He said to remind the warrior who was the one that had to start moving. Alfred groaned but stopped trusting. "Yeah, let me start the dance, my impatient friend." The magician said with a smile.

He raised his hips until he felt the tip of Alfred's cock almost slipping and then lowered them. Alfred watched as his cock entered, more like was swallowed by, Matthew's body and licked his lips with pleasure.

"Come on, Matt, dance." He asked.

Matthew nodded and continued with his work rising and lowering his hips until he achieved a pleasant pace. Alfred closed his eyes and enjoyed. One thing he could recognize was that Matthew **knew **how to ride. He had the ability to move with the exact angle to make them both scream with pleasure; he knew when to go fast and when to go slow to make the penetration deeper.

Matthew moaned louder when Alfred started to trust in him finally reaching his prostate. The pleasure filled him and he started to move faster but making sure his movements allowed Alfred's cock to go deeper in him.

"Yes…Al….aah…deeper…"

As the words escaped the magician's lips, words that tried to encourage him to go faster or to aim to certain place, Alfred bit his lip to stop the cruel remark he had thought. It was curious how minutes ago Matthew had criticized Francis and the woman for screaming those kinds of words and now he was screaming them. Trying to distract himself, for he knew he could end up saying what he was thinking, Alfred decided to grab Matthew's cock and pump it with each of his trusts. It didn't take long for Matthew to groan and release his seed all over Alfred's hand. Alfred moaned with the increasing pleasure that caused Matthew's walls closing over him, but he didn't come. This was one of the reasons why he didn't like having sex with Matthew. The act was pleasurable, full of lust, yes, but lacking something. He could no longer come with just the encouragement of Matthew's presence and moans, and that only frustrated him more and more each time he couldn't achieve a good orgasm.

Matthew yelped when Alfred suddenly pushed him so that he was now lying on the bed and Alfred was over him. The warrior started to trust into him faster and stronger than before, not waiting a single second for him to adjust; he could only see a desperate need in Alfred's face. Matthew wrapped his legs around the warrior's body to make the trusts deeper as he felt the guilt starting to appear. He knew how unsatisfied his friend felt after sex with him and he still was selfish enough to manipulate him into doing it. Alfred's cock hit again his prostrate and caused him to scream his name.

"Aah...Alfred! Yes, there!" Matthew screamed whilst Alfred continued trusting into him. The bed started to squeak beneath them with the force Alfred was using to ram into him. Finally Alfred came with a deep groan hiding his face in the magician's neck. Matthew closed his eyes when he felt the semen inside of him and then leaking out as Alfred pulled out his cock. The only part he hated of sex was cleaning himself after it.

"Was I good?"

It was a stupid question. He knew what Alfred was going to say, but he couldn't stop asking. He needed reassurance. The feeling in his chest was not the same he had had the other time he had banged Alfred. He still felt as empty as before. Was this what Alfred had been feeling all along?

"Yes, Matt, you are always excellent." Alfred said exhausted. He let his body fall onto the bed with his eyes closed. After a moment of silence Alfred finally opened his mouth knowing he was going to touch a delicate theme, but it was fucking necessary. "You should tell him how you feel.'"

"What are you talking about, Al?"

"I am not stupid, Matt. If you want to be in the place of that whore, as you so kindly called her, in Francis's bed, if you want to be the one that receives his kisses, if you want to be the one that pleasures him, tell him you love him."

"Don't you dare to compare me to that wh..!"

"How can I not, Matt!" Alfred exclaimed. "You just did what you criticized about her and Francis!" Matthew opened his mouth but not a single word came out of it so Alfred continued softly. "I cannot understand you, Mattie. You…you are just hurting yourself. I am just suggesting a simple solution to your misery, because having sex with me is never going to fill you nor me. You want him, not me."

Matthew remained in silence looking at the ceiling. Alfred was right. He was fucking right, but it was not easy to tell Francis his feelings when he had already rejected him, and in a spectacular way if he could add. There was not a single day that he didn't regret the way he had acted. He had been so stupid, with the maturity of a little child. He had closed the door he wanted so much to cross. It was not that easy.

"I have already ruined my chance, Al. I ruined everything." He murmured.

"It's never too late, Matt." Alfred said with a sad smile. _"Fear will always make us cowards. I am not exception to the rule, neither you. But of one thing I am sure, it is never too late to face those fears." _

"Wow. From whom did you hear that? Those words are too wise for your intellect." Matthew asked with a hint of a joke in his voice.

Alfred opened his eyes surprised when he heard Matthew's question. The words had suddenly appeared in his mind and he had spoken them without realizing it. He had heard those words from someone, but he couldn't remember from whom. He tried to do recall from whom it had been but it only caused a sharp pain in his head and the result was only a dark and dizzy image appearing in his mind. He couldn't remember. Why?

"I don't know." He mumbled. "I just remembered them."

Matthew nodded, even though he knew Alfred could not see him, and let it go. He was so tired that his normal sharp intuition didn't hear the confusion in Alfred's voice.

"Good night, Matt."

"Sleep well, Al."

* * *

**Again, please, if I have any mistake (the atrocious ones first), do tell me. I will really appreciate it :) **

**Remember, English is not my mother tongue (Had I said that before? No? Yes? Well, now you know). **

_**Danise Nowak**_


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